Monday, June 30, 2014

Hi there, everyone! I hope that you're all having a wonderful day - I certainly am! :) Anyway, I have a real treat for the readers and followers of Emeraldfire's Bookmark. Kathryn Meyer Griffith, author of 19 published books, 2 novellas and 12 short stories, originally wrote a backstory about Dinosaur Lake- a Finalist for the 2014 EPIC Ebook Awards in the Suspense/Thriller Category - back on August 30, 2012!

Yes, I realize that this was almost two years ago, and that I'm just getting around to posting it today, but in my own defense I literally just found Ms. Griffith's guest post while I was perusing several old emails. Since this guest post was written, Ms. Griffith has since gone on to publish 3 more books, 2 novellas and 12 short stories. As a matter of fact, one of those books is the recently published Dinosaur Lake II: Dinosaurs Arising - the sequel to Dinosaur Lake - which I had the pleasure of reading back in April of this year. Here is my review. :)

Ms. Griffith was also kind enough to send me a copy of Dinosaur Lake II: Dinosaurs Arising last month, and I sincerely hope to start reading it very soon!

Meet Kathryn Meyer Griffith

Kathryn Meyer Griffith is a wife of almost 35 years (husband, Russell), mother (one son, James) and grandmother (two grandchildren, Caitlyn and Joshua). She was a graphic designer in the corporate world for 23 years; and has published with Dorchester, Kensington, Avalon Books, The Wild Rose Press, Amazon Kindle Direct, Damnation Books and Eternal Press, and Amazon Publishing. Six years ago Kathryn crossed over into e-books as well as paperbacks and now all her old/new books are in ebooks...and soon to be in Audio Books from ACX.

An ancient predator has been reborn in the caves beneath Crater Lake…and it’s hungry.

Ex-cop Henry Shore has been Chief Park Ranger at Crater Lake National Park for eight years and he likes his park and his life the way it’s been. Safe. Tranquil. Predictable. But he’s about to be tested in so many ways. First the earthquakes begin…people begin to go missing…then there’s some mysterious water creature that’s taken up residence in the caves below Crater Lake and it’s not only growing in size, it’s aggressive and cunning…and very hungry.

And it’s decided it likes human beings. To eat.

And it can come up onto land.

So Henry, with the help of his wife, Ann; a young paleontologist named Justin; and a band of brave men must not only protect his park and his people from the monster but somehow find where it lives and destroy it…before it can kill again.

Henry Shore has been Chief Park Ranger at Crater Lake National Park for thirteen years now and thought the days when he’d had to fight a rogue dinosaur that lived in the caves below the lake were long over. Until one of his park rangers, to save a visitor’s life, is in a deadly struggle out in the woods with a new breed of dinosaur worse than the last one. It’s as big as a man, but this one is a young one. And growing.

Then more of the creatures begin to show up everywhere, threatening people and destroying the tranquility and safety of his beloved park.

A tourist trolley filled with fifteen people is snatched up off the crater’s rim by another version of the younger one…but this one has grown into a giant with fangs, claws and a deadly tail. And this one has wings. Ugly Gargoyles, Henry calls them. For this one isn’t alone. They’re flying beyond the park’s boundaries into the neighboring towns.

So Henry, with the help of his son-in-law, a paleontologist named Justin, and a band of brave park rangers, and a few good soldiers, must not only protect his park and his people from monsters once more but find their lair and destroy it and them before the creatures kill again.

I would like to welcome Kathryn Meyer Griffith, author of Dinosaur Lake to Emeraldfire's Bookmark. Ms. Griffith was kind enough to write a guest post for me and here it is below in her own words:

'Dinosaur Lake’s Backstory Essay'

by Kathryn Meyer Griffith

Of all my 16 novels Dinosaur Lake has the strangest story attached to its creation, death and rebirth…20 years later…of any of them.

Not so much because, as a few of my books, it took so long to write or publish, but because in 1993 it was contracted, edited and the final galleys had been proofed by me for a 5th paperback book release from Zebra (Kensington Publishing) after 3 earlier novels with Leisure Books. I even had a stack of the full-color, printed and embossed covers; it was only weeks before it was to go to the bookshelves (in those days the brick and mortar stores were still king, no Internet or ebooks). I strongly believed it’d be my breakout book. You know, the book that’d make my career and launch me into the stratosphere with Stephen King and Anne Rice? How wrong I’d be. But, hey, I thought who wouldn’t love a tale of a cunning but malevolent rampaging prehistoric dinosaur living in Crater Lake, Oregon, and the Park Ranger who, along with a ragtag gang of heroes who’d try to stop it? I mean, I’d always loved anything about dinosaurs…dinosaur books, playing with those little plastic figurines and watching old stop-action dinosaur movies of the 1950’s and 60’s…who hadn’t?

Apparently someone. My new editor at Zebra.

By 1994, after four novels with them, I’d lost my sweet editor there and a new one took her place...and over the next year he didn’t like anything I wrote for him and later that year Zebra unceremoniously dropped me and my book (Predator…which never came out but still lingers to this very day like some weird ghost book in every computer on the global Internet) only six weeks away from going to the bookstore shelves. When we were editing the book and deciding on the title and the cover, I’d begged the new editor not to call it Predator (his choice as they hadn’t liked my American Loch Ness Monster title), bad title since there was a popular movie out of that name and the movie, with Arnold Schwarzenegger, was nothing about a dinosaur, and the cover was awful, an empty boat on a lake…what!!! Having that book - my first ever - dumped like that was a crushing experience, let me tell you. I had a stack of finished, printed covers and my final edits were done! But nothing my agent or I could say or do would change their minds. They said they were cutting their horror lines and setting adrift a lot of their mid-list horror authors because horror (in 1994) was on the decline. The new editor-that-didn’t-like-my-writing explained: “And no one wants to read a book about a dinosaur.” Yeah, sure.

And six months later Jurassic Park the book came out! We all know how that story ended, don’t we? People loved the book, the movies; they loved dinosaurs.

I’ll never know the real reason they cut the book but that male editor never bought another book from me…which was another weird thing because when I’d met him in New York (I went for a Horror Convention) in the summer of 1993 he’d taken my husband and I out to lunch and gushed over me and said how much he’d loved my last release Witches. Hmmm.

Anyway, I got to keep my advance but the book was officially dead. It never came out. I grieved.

I was so disgusted I stashed it in a drawer somewhere and tried to forget it.

Until now. After I’d finished revising and rereleasing all my new/old 15 books (and besides paperbacks they’re in ebooks for the first time ever) from Eternal Press/Damnation Books in June of 2012 I remembered about my American Loch Ness Monster novel, took it out and reread it.

Whoa, like a lot of my older novels now years later I could see what was wrong with it and how to fix it. Back then I hadn’t seen the head-hopping I did or the awkward phrasing, stiff or overly dramatic dialogue, repetitive words and other things I’ve learned since to recognize and stay away from. Of course, computers help make the editing so much easier. I think I’d done the original book on my electric typewriter.

Anyway, telling myself the dumping of that book had been a turning point in my writing life - sending me in the wrong direction for a long time apparently…I couldn’t sell a book for eight long years after that - I decided to rewrite and finally release it. In fact, I was going to do something that twenty years ago would have been unheard of and frowned on…self-publish the book myself. With Kindle Direct. For the first time in forty years I was walking away from the traditional publishers and going on my own. Thank you J.A. Konrath’s blog! I figured I could sell the Kindle ebook a lot cheaper and, thus, use it to introduce (as enticement) more readers to my writing and perhaps, if they liked it, they’d buy more of my other fifteen novels, novellas and various short stories.

It could work, right?

So here it is, retitled, rewritten, updated and with an amazing new cover I love by Dawne Dominique… Dinosaur Lake. I hope my readers will like it.

***

Written this thirtieth day of Aug, 2012 by the author Kathryn Meyer Griffith E-mail me at rdgriff@htc.net - I love to hear from my readers.

Friday, June 27, 2014

36. Mind Games by Christine Amsden (2014)The Cassie Scot Series Book 3Length: 275 pagesGenre: Paranormal MysteryStarted: 17 June 2014Finished: 27 June 2014Where did it come from? Many thanks to Christine Amsden for sending me a copy of this book to read.

How long has it been on my TBR pile? Since 5 April 2014Why do I have it? I like paranormal mysteries and have read and enjoyed several books by this author in the past. I'm also completely hooked on The Cassie Scot Series as well.

Two months after she's left standing alone on Evan Blackwood's doorstep, Cassie Scot is heart-broken and devastated; and she still doesn't understand the reason why. With a seer's warning of "Beware your heart and soul..." constantly running through her mind, Cassie has tried to find out the reason behind his abrupt behavior change towards her. Yet, with Evan gone and Eagle Rock in need, Cassie finds herself in quite a conundrum.

So, she does what she's done before: she surrounds herself with family, friends and works diligently in her new job at the sheriff's department; but nothing helps. The only thing that finally allows her heal and move on is the love of a new man - mind mage Matthew Blair. As a senator and also the son of Eagle Rock's mayor, Matthew is - to Cassie's mind - captivating, utterly charming, and...irresistible.

Matthew may also be the only one capable of keeping the non-magical residents of Eagle Rock from exacting vigilante justice after a beloved pastor's wife is murdered. It looks like a sorcerer is to blame; but while Cassie tries to figure out who, others take matters into their own hands. With tensions running as hot as this, a single spark just might be enough to set the entire town of Eagle Rock ablaze.

Let me say right from the start, that I'm completely hooked on this series! :) This is the third book in The Cassie Scot Series, and the plot is just as exciting as the first two books in the series. I give Mind Games a definite A! It was difficult for me to leave Eagle Rock behind when I turned the last page. These characters stayed with me for quite a while; and I'm eagerly awaiting the release of Ms. Amsden's next book; which just happens to be Book 4 in The Cassie Scot Series - Stolen Dreams! I want to know what happens next.

Friday, June 20, 2014

35. Schism: The Battle For Darracia by Michael Phillip Cash (2013)The Battle For Darracia Saga Book 1Length: 202 pagesGenre: Science FictionStarted: 9 June 2014Finished: 20 June 2014Where did it come from? Many thanks to Michael Phillip Cash and to Red Feather Publishing for sending me a copy of this book to read. I received my first copy of this book from him in February. After it won a couple of awards, in April a second copy of the book arrived in the mail from Red Feather Publishing.How long has it been on my TBR pile? Since 8 February 2014; Since 2 April 2014Why do I have it? I like science fiction and Michael Phillip Cash is a new author for me.

Darracia is a planet in turmoil. An ever-widening social gap between its inhabitants is causing severe unrest, and that is quickly fracturing a once peaceful world. Already struggling with his identity, nineteen-year-old Prince V'sair dreams of someday wielding the elusive Fireblade - the key to a warrior's heart. However, deep in his heart, he secretly doubts his worthiness to harness such immense power.

The impetuous young prince will soon be tested beyond the point of endurance. For the coming battle for supremacy will pit brother against brother - and in order to overcome his uncle Staf Nuen's lust for power, Prince V'sair will discover his true destiny. Will the energy of the Elements guide the young prince to that destiny or will Staf Nuen finally conquer Darracia?

I actually began reading this book back in April, but due to my schedule, I had to set the book aside temporarily. I am so delighted that I was eventually able to read this book when I did. I was completely drawn into the plot right from the start. Mr. Cash certainly knows how to create believable, well-developed and true-to-life characters - even if they are aliens from another planet! - and an engrossing and intriguing plot.

I give this book a definite A+! I thoroughly enjoyed reading it, and look forward to reading the next book in the series - Collision: The Battle For Darracia - sometime very soon.

Tuesday, June 17, 2014

Back in February of 2014, my Mom received a copy of Schism: The Battle For Darracia, although she immediately passed the book on to me, since she doesn't usually read science fiction herself. I like reading some light science fiction, so Mom gave it to me instead. I started reading this book back in April, but had to put the book aside temporarily due to my schedule.

I was delighted to learn recently that four books by Michael Phillip Cash have won several awards! Congratulations on such a great achievement, Mr. Cash - it is certainly well-deserved. I am currently reading Schism: The Battle For Darracia - a Finalist for the Foreword Review's Book of the Year Award of 2013 in the Science Fiction Category, and the book also received Second Place for the Rebecca's Reads Readers Choice Awards of 2013 in the Science Fiction Category.

As of Tuesday, June 17th, I'm on page 63 (about 30%) into Schism: The Battle For Darracia by Michael Phillip Cash, and am thoroughly enjoying the story so far. As a matter of fact, I just received the second book in TheDarracia Saga - Collision: The Battle For Darracia on Thursday, May 22nd from my Mom. Mr. Cash's publicist, Red Feather Publishing had sent her a copy, and she had again passed it on to me. I hope to start reading this book sometime very soon

Right at the moment, all I know is that Mom put Collision: The Battle For Darracia somewhere safely in my room; I just have to figure out where! lol! :)

Meet Michael Phillip Cash

Michael Phillip Cash is an award winning and best selling author of horror, paranormal, and science fiction novels. Stillwell: A Haunting on Long Island, The Hanging Tree, and Schism: The Battle ForDarracia have all been named to Foreword Review's Book of the Year Awards. Michael currently resides on Long Island with his wife and children.

On the planet Darracia, an ever-widening social gap between its inhabitants is causing turmoil that is fracturing a once peaceful world. Struggling with his identity, nineteen year old Prince V'sair must harness the power of the elusive Fireblade, the secret to a warrior's heart, in order to overcome his uncle Staf Nuen's lust for supremacy. Will the energy of the Elements guide the young prince to his true destiny or will Staf Nuen conquer Darracia?

After the success of his first three books (Brood X, Stillwell, and The Hanging Tree) Michael is fulfilling a dream and creating his own epic fantasy world. Schism: The Battle For Darracia is the first book in a planned series.

Sunday, June 15, 2014

Hello Everyone! I am extremely happy to announce that Christine Amsden will be touring the blogosphere to promote her young adult Paranormal Mystery Stolen Dreams- Book 4 in her Cassie Scot Series. This virtual book tour is being hosted by the author herself and will last from July 16, to October 15, 2014!

Ms. Amsden is also doing an awesome giveaway - she is giving away a $100 Amazon Gift Card to one lucky winner at the end of her Blog Tour. Be sure to fill out the Rafflecopter form below, and I wish you all the very best of good luck in taking part!

Stolen Dreams Blog Tour Information:

Meet Christine Amsden

Christine Amsden has been writing fantasy and science fiction for as long as she can remember. She loves to write and it is her dream that others will be inspired by this love and by her stories. Speculative fiction is fun, magical, and imaginative but great speculative fiction is about real people defining themselves through extraordinary situations. Christine writes primarily about people and relationships, and it is in this way that she strives to make science fiction and fantasy meaningful for everyone.

At the age of 16, Christine was diagnosed with Stargardt’s Disease, a condition that effects the retina and causes a loss of central vision. She is now legally blind, but has not let this slow her down or get in the way of her dreams. (You can learn more here.)

In addition to writing, Christine teaches workshops on writing at Savvy Authors. She also does some freelance editing work.

Christine currently lives in the Kansas City area with her husband, Austin, who has been her biggest fan and the key to her success. They have two beautiful children.

Edward Scot and Victor Blackwood have despised one another for nearly a quarter of a century, but now their simmering hatred is about to erupt.

When Cassie Scot returns home from her sojourn in Pennsylvania, she finds that her family has taken a hostage. Desperate to end the fighting before someone dies, Cassie seeks help from local seer Abigail Hastings, Evan Blackwood’s grandmother. But Abigail has seen her own death, and when it comes at the hand of Cassie’s father, Victor Blackwood kills Edward Scot.

But things may not be precisely as they appear.

Evan persuades Cassie to help him learn the truth, teaming them up once again in their darkest hour. New revelations about Evan and his family make it difficult for Cassie to cling to a shield of anger, but can Evan and Cassie stop a feud that has taken on a life of its own? Conclusion to the Cassie Scot Series.

Living in the world of werewolves, vampires, and dark magic can have a certain effect on a child, especially when that child is Hassen Mason, who seems destined to bring ruin to those he loves. Hassen was abandoned as a child and was immersed in the world of magic by the strange creatures that raised him. His lineage was a mystery, but no mystery buried in the past can stay buried for long - especially when that mystery is strong enough to span centuries.

An accident leaves Hassen without memories, and he must find a way to remember who he was and what his life meant to him before his past creeps up and kills him. He encounters evils worse than abandonment - vengeful demons and walking dead. Somehow, Hassen’s family was involved in this dark underworld. Now he has to fight his own internal battle: Is he a good guy or one of the villains?

Then he meets Carissa - a woman he suspects he knew before he lost his memory. She has had a similarly troubled past, and although the two of them are from different worlds, they find a common bond that even dark spirits cannot break. Will Hassen’s good side be strong enough to battle the side that longs to be bad? Will Carissa’s love keep him sane, or will the truth about his family finally cast him into the endless abyss of insanity?

Wednesday, June 11, 2014

Hello everyone! :) I hope that you are all having a wonderful day today. I know that I am! ;) Anyway, I recently saw on Facebook that author Kathryn Meyer Griffith is looking for more reviews for her books, and because I think she is such a remarkable writer, I thought that I would make a request of all the readers of Emeraldfire's Bookmark.

Like so many authors out there, Ms. Griffith is always on the look out for more reviewers for her books - most specifically her Four Spooky Short Stories. All that is required from these potential reviewers, is a willingness to read the book, and also to write a fair and honest review of what you read. As I've said before, this is just a request of all the readers of my blog - but if you do decide to review any of the books in Four Spooky Short Stories, I would appreciate it very much! And I know that Ms. Griffith would as well. ;)

Meet Kathryn Meyer Griffith

Since childhood I’ve been an artist and worked as a graphic designer in the corporate world and for newspapers for twenty-three years before I quit to write full time. But I’d already begun writing novels at 21, over forty-two years ago now, and have had twenty (ten romantic horror, two horror novels, two romantic SF horror, one romantic suspense, one romantic time travel, one historical romance and three murder mysteries) previous novels, two novellas and twelve short stories published from Zebra Books, LeisureBooks, Avalon Books, The Wild Rose Press, Damnation Books/Eternal Press; and I’ve self-published my last five novels with Amazon Kindle Direct and my dinosaur novels are my best-sellers.

I’ve been married to Russell for thirty-six years; have a son, James, and two grandchildren, Joshua and Caitlyn, and I live in a small quaint town in Illinois, which is right across the JB Bridge from St. Louis, Mo. We have three quirky cats, ghost cat Sasha and Cleo, and live cat Sasha (Too), and the five of us live happily in an old house in the heart of town. Though I’ve been an artist, and a folk singer in my youth with my brother Jim, writing has always been my greatest passion, my butterfly stage, and I’ll probably write stories until the day I die…or until my memory goes.

So what happens after you die? Do you go to heaven, or hell? Or do you go to a special place fashioned just for you based on the life you’d lived in the real world? Based on how you treated people? What you did to them?

And do ghosts exist? Do they roam the earth and plague the living, persuade them to do things they shouldn’t do?

Two brothers and their tale follow; their journey through life and death.

Do you believe in ghosts? Some do.Running with the Train…Sarah has always been lonely. Searching for a love she’s begun to believe will never come. Her family and friends depend, need her…but they can’t give her what she wants. True, eternal love. Like the wolves have.

So she goes on an adventure of a lifetime to the Grand Canyon; rides the train from Williams to the South Rim and sees these huge wolves running alongside in the evening twilight; scurrying unbelievably below on the Canyon’s ledges among the trees. She’s told there are no wolves but she hears their haunting cries. No one else sees or hears them. Just her.

Has her loneliness made her crazy?

The Banshee and the Witch…What would you do to live forever, stay young forever? To find true love again?

And if you were a white witch with the magical powers to make it happen…and the secret of how to do it, would you?

So when the banshee comes calling for you one rainy dark night you’ll do what you have to do to get what you desire the most. More time.Too Close to the Edge…Artist Penelope had been looking forward to going with her husband, sister and brother-in-law to see the Grand Canyon…even though she was terrified of heights and, when she got there, couldn’t bear to get too close to the edge. She watched people balancing on one foot, acting foolish, taking photos, oblivious of the death waiting below them. It scared her.

Especially when a woman relates a story of a small child that fell into the Canyon the day before. Over the edge.

Then she sees a young girl go over the rim and no one will believe her.

For there was no child that had died - that day anyway.

Was she seeing things that weren’t there, or was there another explanation?

Monday, June 9, 2014

Nikki Rae is a writer who lives in New Jersey. As an independent author, she has appeared numerously on Amazon Best Seller lists and she concentrates on making her imaginary characters as real as possible. Nikki writes mainly dark, scary, romantic tales, but she’ll try anything once. When she is not writing, reading, or thinking, you can find her spending time with animals, drawing in a quiet corner, or studying people. Closely.

34. War of the Gods by Justine, Juan and Marco Borrego (2013)The Chimera Box Series Book 1Length: 35 pagesGenre: FantasyStarted: 4 June 2014Finished: 9 June 2014Where did it come from? From Netgalley

How long has it been on my TBR pile? Since 16 January 2014

Why do I have it? I like fantasy and Justine, Juan and Marco Borrego are new authors for me.

Seven-year-old Justin is an ordinary little boy. He imagines living in a world full of mythical creatures and having thrilling adventures, similar to those that he studies about at school in Greek mythology. Then, one day, his mother brings home something that she calls a chimera box. When Justin asks her what the word 'chimera' means, he learns that it is derived from Greek mythology - describing anything perceived as wildly imaginative.

As a naturally reserved child, Justin is initially wary of the box; but his wariness soon turns to curiosity, and then intrigue. Finally, on a dull and rainy day, he finds the courage to step inside the chimera box. Having the confidence to take that first step, Justin enters a magical world which exceeds even his wildest imagination.

He travels to dangerous lands and comes face to face with terrifying creatures. His journey into this newly discovered world is made alongside, and under the guidance of, the faithful Greek goddess, Gaea. Gaea has absolute faith in Justin's abilities - and she helps him to believe in himself and in his formidable skills, in preparation for the most challenging battle he will ever fight.

Justin will confront Hades; doing battle with Cronus and the Cyclops, in order to fulfill the prophecy and save all the trapped and defenseless gods, who are at the mercy of the combined wrath of Zeus and Jupiter. Justin must learn to face his fears and ultimately find the courage to endure many struggles and battles. Together Justin and Gaea must defeat the evil - the fate of the gods lies in their hands.

War of the Gods is the first book in an exciting new series, written for children from the ages of five to ten. Each subsequent book in this series follows a different child's journey as they step into the magical chimera box; a special vessel which allows a child’s creativity and imagination to flourish, enabling them to transform into a different character. In order for this transformation to take place, the child must find their hero within. The chimera box will grant each child the ability to go anywhere and become anyone or anything their heart desires; a place where dreams come alive and where there are no boundaries to what voyage a child can go on.

I originally chose this book because I love reading anything having to do with mythology. In my opinion, this is a very intriguing premise and I'm curious to find out where this series will lead. I suppose only the chimera box will tell. I give War of the Gods by Justine, Juan and Marco Borrego a definite A!

Sunday, June 8, 2014

33. The Education of George Washington: How a Forgotten Book Shaped the Character of a Hero by Austin Washington (2014)Length: 327 pagesGenre: Non-FictionStarted: 12 May 2014Finished: 8 June 2014Where did it come from? Many thanks to Dorothy at Pump up Your Book for sending me a copy of this book to read.How long has it been on my TBR pile? Since 14 April 2014Why do I have it? I like non-fiction and Austin Washington is a new author for me.

When we hear the name George Washington, we immediately think of America's first president - a man of honor, bravery and leadership - a great general, and a humble gentleman. While he most certainly was all these things, as well as so much more; it is sometimes difficult to see the man through the blindingly brilliant glare of his reputation. But the father of our nation didn't emerge fully formed in commemorative marble and coated in Revolutionary glory.

George Washington created America. But what made George Washington the man he was? How did he become this man of such stature - who, even in his own time, was regarded as the embodiment of honor, courage and integrity? Who better than George Washington's own great-nephew, Austin Washington, to reveal the secret that he has discovered about Washington's past that explains his true model for conduct, honor, and leadership - an example that we could all use.

As an historian, Austin Washington has discovered the answer. It lies in a book - a book that was crucial to the formation of George Washington's character - but was subsequently forgotten for generations. Now this lost source has finally been uncovered and explored, and Austin Washington has found the key to his great-uncle's tremendous achievements - all within the pages of a simple book - one that changed George Washington's life; and ultimately all of us as well.

The Education of George Washington: How a Forgotten Book Shaped the Character of a Hero by Austin Washington definitely took much longer to read than I was expecting, although I'm entirely certain that this is due to my own slow reading pace, and has absolutely nothing to do with the book itself. I enjoyed reading this book very much. I appreciated the easy writing style that the author used, and must say that to me, George Washington became more of a living and breathing person, and less of the dry historical figure who is portrayed in most history books. I give this book an A! and I look forward to reading more from Austin Washington in the future.

Friday, June 6, 2014

Hello everyone! :) I'm delighted to announce that to celebrate the release of Khaki=Killer, book three of Connie Corcoran Wilson's hugely successful The Color of Evil Series, Amazon will be hosting several days of free Kindle downloads for each book in the series. These books will only be free for a short period of time, so you had better hurry and grab your copy today!

The free Kindle downloads begin with The Color of Evil- on May 17th to 21st, 2014! The free Kindle downloads continue with Red is For Rage- free from Amazon from June 26th to June 30th, 2014! The free Kindle downloads conclude with the release of Khaki=Killer- free from Amazon from July 8th to July 12th, 2014!

Connie (Corcoran) Wilson taught composition at 6 IA/IL colleges and wrote for 5 newspapers. She currently writes for 6 blogs, was named 2008 Content Producer of the Year by Associated Content (2009), Midwestern Writing Center Writer of the Year (March 30, 2010), received the Illinois Women'sPress Association Silver Feather Award on June 6, 2012, and has received numerous E-Lit Gold Medal awards for her works, including the first book in The Color of Evil series. She currently is a Featured Contributor for Yahoo, reviewing movies, television, entertainment and politics.

A graduate of the University of Iowa, Berkeley, Western Illinois University, Northern Illinois University and the University of Chicago, she was film and book critic for the Quad City Times during the 70’s and 80’s. Her (Jan., 2011) nonfiction release It Came from the ‘70s: From The Godfather to Apocalypse Now consists of 50 reviews written during the seventies, with 76 photos, major cast and interactive trivia.

Connie’s continuing short story collection, Hellfire and Damnation, stories focused on the 9 Circles of Hell described in Dante's Inferno will soon have a third installment. Her screenplay based on her novel Outof Time was a winner in the 2007 “Writer’s Digest” competition.

In addition to interviewing Kurt Vonnegut, William F. Nolan, David Morrell, Joe Hill, Frederik Pohl, Jon Land, John Irving and Anne Perry for print and online publications, Connie taught for 33 years, founded and was CEO of 2 businesses (Sylvan Learning Center #3301 and Prometric Testing Center #3301), has a son (Scott) and a daughter (Stacey) born 19 years apart, is married 45 years to husband, Craig. Her twin granddaughters, Ava and Elise, who appear on the cover of her humorous book of essays, Laughing Through Life, turned four on January 11, 2013.

Tad McGreevy has a power that he has never revealed, not even to his life-long best friend, Stevie Scranton. When Tad looks at others, he sees colors. These auras tell Tad whether a person is good or evil. At night, Tad dreams about the evil-doers, reliving their crimes in horrifyingly vivid detail.

But Tad doesn't know if the evil acts he witnesses in his nightmares are happening now, are already over, or are going to occur in the future. He has no control over the horrifying visions. He has been told (by his parents) never to speak of his power. All Tad knows is that he wants to protect those he loves. And he wants the bad dreams to stop.

At Tad's eighth birthday party (April 1, 1995) in Cedar Falls, Iowa, the clown his parents hire to entertain Tad's third-grade classmates is one of the bad people. Pogo, the Killer Clown (aka Michael Clay) is a serial killer. So begins 53 nights of terror as Tad relives Pogo's crime, awakens screaming, and recites the terrifying details to his disbelieving family. The situation becomes so dire that Tad is hospitalized in a private institution under the care of a psychiatrist--who also does not believe the small boy's stories.

And then the police arrest Pogo, the Killer Clown.

Flash forward to the beginning of Tad's junior year in high school, 8 years later. Tad is 16 and recovered from the spring of his third-grade year. When Michael Clay was caught and imprisoned, the crime spree ended and so did Tad's bad dreams.

Until now, in the year of our Lord 2003, when evil once again stalks the land.

This is a terrifying, intense story of the dark people and places that lurk just beneath the surface of seemingly normal small-town America. As one reviewer says, "Wilson nails the darkness beneath the surface of small-town Midwestern life with an intense story based on fact."

Tad must wage a silent war against those who would harm the ones he loves. A battle to the death.

Red is For Rage is the second book in the award-winning The Color of Evil series by Connie (Corcoran) Wilson. The Color of Evil won the E-Lit Gold Medal for Horror (Jenkins Group), and the Silver Feather (IWPA).

In Book Two, we learn more about the exact nature of Tad’s paranormal power, Tetrachromatic Super Vision. Can this keen sight help Tad find Stevie Scranton? Will Tad suffer another breakdown from reliving the crimes of serial killer Michael Clay (aka, Pogo, the Killer Clown), as he did when only eight years old? Can Tad learn to harness his special sight to help his loved ones?

When Stevie Scranton goes missing, best friend Tad vows to do everything he can to find him. Even if Stevie is dead, Sally and Earl Scranton, (his parents), and Shannon, (Stevie’s older sister), crave closure. Tad enlists the help of retired policeman Charlie Chandler and a team of volunteers, including Charlie’s old partner, Evelyn Hoeflinger. This rag-tag team of detectives continues searching for Stevie Scranton, the runty misfit of Cedar Falls’ Sky High. In their search, they discover a monster every bit as dangerous as Pogo and must confront him in order to save Stevie.

Tad sees auras around others that tell him whether they are good or evil. The truly evil are surrounded by a khaki aura (THE COLOR OF EVIL). At night, Tad suffers vivid nightmares that depict the crimes of the evil-doers. Michael Clay (the serial killer Pogo) escapes custody. On the loose again, Pogo’s actions restart the vicious cycle of violent nightmares. Pogo poses a threat to the entire town of Cedar Falls, but he is especially a threat to Tad McGreevy.

Pogo has one main goal: kill Tad McGreevy so that Tad cannot disclose Clay’s location. Pogo doesn’t realize that, up until now, Tad has been unable to harness the paranormal ability he possesses. Now, Tad McGreevy must try to learn to use his unique gift. Stevie Scranton’s fate hangs in the balance. Tad’s power, if precognitive, could save everyone he loves.

Jenny SanGiovanni returns from her father’s home in Boulder, Colorado, to finish her senior year with her old classmates. She brings home a new set of problems. Jeremy Gustaffsson, the fifth-year senior boyfriend in Jenny’s junior year, graduated. But Jeremy is still in town, still obsessed with Jenny, still dangerous. When Jenny broke up with Jeremy, it made Jeremy mad. Bad things happen to good people when Jeremy Gustaffsson gets angry and descends into a red rage.

All Jenny’s cheerleader friends from her junior year are back. Many, like Janice Kramer, Heather Crompton and Melody Harris, have problems of their own. Jenny deals with adolescent issues such as self-esteem and self-worth, problems that tax her soul. But Jenny is not alone. Another Sky High student is driven to the brink. Will that individual plunge into the abyss of despair?

And what of the adults? What has the stress of Stevie’s nine-month ordeal done to Earl and Sally Scranton’s marriage? What problems confront the other adults in Cedar Falls as three evil-doers rise up to create chaos and do them harm?

Red is For Rage and rage runs rampant in this small Iowa town in the year of our Lord 2004.

Khaki=Killer, the third novel in The Color of Evil series, follows young Tad McGreevy and friends at Cedar Falls' Sky High Lab School through the second semester of their senior year.

Recently named a "PageTurner" by Shelf Unbound magazine and NABE Pinnacle Thriller winner, the series details the adventures of the young man (Tad McGreevy) with the power to detect auras around others (Tetrachromatic Super Vision) and to relive the crimes of those with "the color of evil" in his dreams. Khaki=Killer.

Praise For The Color of Evil Series:

As reviewer(True Review)Andy Andrewsput it: "Wilson makes all this count and mixes the ugly and the good in ways that can turn out to be rewarding for readers...There are moments of a real gift here...deft touches...especially between Stevie (Scranton) and his girlfriend, that are quite touching and even inspired...So, I remain happy to follow this series, I am assuming this series will reach a conclusion and I cannot wait to see how Wilson writes it."
"Connie Corcoran Wilson weaves a deftly fine scalpel in an age where a crude blade is more the norm. Her work is a smooth, subtle hybrid mix of science fiction, thriller, and horror that realizes a unique and pointed vision in the great tradition of Phillip K. Dick and Ray Bradbury. Her voice is a wonder to behold, at once dark and somber while maintaining a glimmer of hope that shines in the hearts of her heroes, who cling to the light. Like Stephen King, nothing escapes her discerning eye, the result of which is tale after tale that bleed life onto the page, both literally and figuratively." - Jon Land, bestselling author of theCaitlin Strong Series

"Connie Wilson is back - She's good! She's DAMN good! In a world of mainly bad-to-fair writers, she stands above the crowd with plot, description , and strong character. Believe me, you'll enjoy her latest! that's a guarantee!...She's a born storyteller!" - William F. Nolan, Living Legend in Dark Fantasy, Logan's Run, Logan's World, Nightworlds

"Wilson's characters come alive on the page. Comparisons to Stephen King, Dean Koontz and Philip K. Dick aside, Wilson has spent 33 years teaching students in this age range. She knows what she is talking about."- Gary Braver, author ofFlashbackand 8 other thrillers.

"The Color of Evil series is old-school psychological horror, artfully blended with new-school shocks and twists. ..Bravo!" - Jonathan Maberry, New York Times best-selling author,multipleBram Stokerwinner

Thursday, June 5, 2014

Hello Everyone! I am extremely happy to announce that Michael Matson will be touring the blogosphere to promote his Contemporary Mystery The Dancing Boy This virtual book tour is being hosted by Pump up Your Bookand will last from July 1, to July 31, 2014!

The Dancing Boy Blog Tour Information:

Meet Michael Matson

Michael Matson was born in Helena, Montana, and was immediately issued a 10-gallon Stetson and a pair of snakeskin boots. After formative years spent in New Jersey, North Carolina, New York, California, Hawaii and Japan, Michael earned a journalism degree from the University of Washington in Seattle. Following a brief military stint in Oklahoma, where he first encountered red, sticky mud, heavy rain and tarantulas, he returned to Seattle and worked as an advertising agency copywriter, creative director and video producer.

In 2007 he (regretfully) left Seattle for Mexico to have time to write and has since published The Diamond Tree, a fairytale for all ages; Bareback Rider, an inspirational adventure for children; and Takeshi’s Choice, a mystery novel. His short story “Gato” was selected for inclusion in Short StoryAmerica’s 2014 anthology. His second mystery novel: The Dancing Boy, was released by Dark Oak Mysteries, a division of Oak Tree Press in April 2014.

He lives with his wife María Guadalupe (Tai), in Morelia, the colonial capital city of Michoacán, where, despite all the bad publicity given the area by U.S. news media, he has never seen a narcotraficante.

Treat Mikkelson is not exactly a burnt-out case but he’s grown tired of his life as a criminologist, weary of memories of a marriage gone wrong and of his time in Vietnam. Trying to burn the bridges to his past, he finds and remodels a cabin on a small Pacific Northwest Island, settles down to enjoy fishing, setting his crab pot, digging for clams and documenting the lives of his island neighbors.

When an elderly woman in the nearby tourist town of La Conner is found dead however, the victim of what appears to be an accidental fall, Mikkelson is persuaded to look into her death. The discovery that it was murder leads to something even more shocking: the human trafficking of young boys brought into the US and Canada.

Wednesday, June 4, 2014

Hello everyone! So, granted that I missed out on a recent free Amazon download for Kathryn Meyer Griffith'sScraps of Paper - Revised Author's Edition - however, at the time my computer was having problems because there's been a lot of thunderstorms sweeping through my area with frequent lightning strikes. Anyway, I hope that you all still manage to grab your own copy of Scraps of Paper - Revised Author's Edition by Kathryn Meyer Griffith as soon as possible! By the way, Scraps of Paper - Revised Author's Edition is the first Book in the Spookie Town Mystery Series.

Meet Kathryn Meyer Griffith

Kathryn Meyer Griffith is a wife of almost 35 years (husband, Russell), mother (one son, James) and grandmother (two grandchildren, Caitlyn and Joshua). She was a graphic designer in the corporate world for 23 years; and has published with Dorchester, Kensington, Avalon Books, The Wild Rose Press, AmazonKindle Direct, Damnation Books and Eternal Press, and Amazon Publishing. Six years ago Kathryn crossed over into e-books as well as paperbacks and now all her old/new books are in ebooks...and soon to be in Audio Books from ACX.

Abigail Sutton's beloved husband walks out one night, doesn't return, and two years later is found dead, a victim of a long ago crime. It's made her sympathetic to the missing and their families.

Starting her new life, Abigail moves to small town and buys a fixer-upper house left empty when old Edna Summers died. Once it was also home to Edna's younger sister, Emily, and her two children, Jenny and Christopher, who, people believe, drove away one night, thirty years ago, and just never came back.

But in renovating the house Abigail finds scraps of paper hidden behind baseboards and tucked beneath the porch that hint the three could have been victims of foul play. Then she finds their graves hidden in the woods behind the house and with the help of the eccentric townspeople and ex-homicide detective, Frank Lester, she discovers the three were murdered. Then she and Frank try to uncover who killed them and why...but in the process awaken the ire of the murderer.

This book is the first of a series. The second book, All Things Slip Away, where Abigail and Frank's sleuthing adventures continue is also for sale on Amazon.

Tuesday, June 3, 2014

The Woman in Black: British theatrical release poster. Stars: Daniel Radcliffe, Ciarán Hinds, Janet McTeer and Liz White, PG-13, Released on February 3, 2012 in the United States and Canada, and on February 10, 2012 in the United Kingdom.

So, back in February of 2013, I read The Woman in Black: A Ghost Story by Susan Hill - here is my review of the paperback. I had downloaded this ebook for myself in January of 2012, although I then grabbed the paperback at a Library Book Sale that Mom and I went to in February of 2013. Mom read this book first, and I started it almost immediately after she finished it.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book, and it took me nine days to read it. I'm actually thinking of rereading this book sometime very soon.

Back in February of 2013 - on February 9th - the DVD starring Daniel Radcliffe and Ciarán Hinds arrived in the mail. It has literally taken Mom and I over a year to finally watch the movie! Our DVD player had somehow burned out, and since we don't watch that many DVDs, we didn't know that we needed a new DVD player until we tried to play this DVD. :)

I received a new television for my birthday (along with a package of eight clip-on bookmarks and three blank journals - what can I say, I just love book related presents and office supplies!) Mom had hoped to get our new DVD player hooked up to be able to watch The Woman in Black for my birthday - but everything took just slightly longer than we expected it would. Anyway, we started watching the movie at about 10:30 P.M. on Tuesday night - or perhaps it was closer to 10: 45 P. M. By 1:00 A. M., the movie was over and we went directly to bed.

The Woman in Black was released in February of 2012, and is rated PG-13. It is a horror movie that runs approximately 95 minutes. The film stars Daniel Radcliffe (as Arthur Kipps), Ciarán Hinds (as Sam Daily), Janet McTeer (as Elisabeth Daily) and Liz White (as Jennet Humfrye). This film was directed by James Watkins, and was produced by Richard Jackson, Simon Oakes and Brian Oliver.

Who Plays Arthur Kipps - A Young Lawyer From London?

While he made his acting debut at age 10 in BBC One's 1999 television movie 'David Copperfield', followed by his film debut in 2001's The Tailor of Panama, Daniel Radcliffe rose to prominence playing the title character in the HarryPotter film series. At age 11, he was cast as Harry Potter in the first Harry Potter movie - 2001's Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. He went on to star in the series over the next ten years until the release of the eighth and final film of the franchise - 2011's Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2.

Daniel Radcliffe began to branch out into stage acting in 2007, starring in the London and New York productions of the play Equus, and in 2011's Broadway revival of the musical How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying. In 2008, he revealed that he suffers from a mild form of Developmental Coordination Disorder - also known as developmental dyspraxia or 'Clumsy Child Syndrome'. This disorder is a chronic neurological disorder beginning in childhood, which can affect the planning of movements and motor skills coordination. This is as result of brain messages not being accurately transmitted to the body.

For Daniel Radcliffe, his Developmental Coordination Disorder causes such poor motor skills that he sometimes has trouble doing simple activities such as writing or tying his shoelaces. Many sufferers of this disorder have memory problems, typically resulting in difficulty remembering instructions, difficulty organizing one's time and remembering deadlines, increased propensity to lose things or problems carrying out tasks which require remembering several steps in sequence (such as cooking). Whilst most of the general population experience these problems to some extent, they have a much more significant impact on the lives of dyspraxic people.

Despite having poor short-term memories, many sufferers generally have excellent long-term memories. They benefit most from from working in a structured environment, as repeating the same routine minimizes the difficulty with time-management and allows them to commit procedures to long-term memory. Because sufferers sometimes have difficulty moderating the amount of sensory information that their body is constantly sending them, these people are also prone to panic attacks.

Many dyspraxics struggle to distinguish left from right, even as adults, and generally have an extremely poor sense of direction. Moderate to extreme difficulty doing physical tasks is experienced by some dyspraxics, and fatigue is common because so much extra energy is expended while trying to execute physical movements correctly. Some (but not all) dyspraxics suffer from low muscle tone - know as hypotonia - which like Developmental Coordination Disorder, can detrimentally affect balance.

Who Plays Sam Daily - a Local Landowner in the Village of Crythin Gifford?

Born and raised in North Belfast, Ciarán Hinds is the only son in a family of five children. His father was a doctor and his mother was a school teacher and an amateur actress. Ciarán was an Irish dancer in his youth, and was originally enrolled as a law student at Queen's University, Belfast, but was soon persuaded to pursue acting and abandoned his studies at Queen's to enroll at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London, England.

He began his professional acting career at the Glasgow Citizens' Theatre in a 1976 production of Cinderella. While he remained a frequent performer at the Citizens' Theatre during the late 1970s and 1980s, Ciarán continues to act on stage up to the present. He made his feature film debut in John Boorman's 1981 movie Excalibur, and has since built a reputation as a versatile character actor appearing in such high-profile films as Road to Perdition, The Phantom of the Opera, Munich, There Will be Blood, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2, The Woman in Black and Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. His television roles include Gaius Julius Caesar in the series 'Rome', DCI James Langton in the series 'Above Suspicion',Bud Hammond in the series 'Political Animals' and Mance Rayder in the Emmy Award winning 'Game of Thrones'.

Ciarán Hinds lives in Paris with his long-time partner Hélène Patarot; they met in 1987 while in the cast of Peter Brook's production of The Mahabharata. The couple have a daughter named Aoife, born in 1991. Ciarán is also a close friend of fellow Irish actor Liam Neeson and served as a pallbearer at the funeral of Liam's wife, actress Natasha Richardson in upstate New York on March 22, 2009.

Who Plays Elisabeth Daily - Sam Daily's Wife?

Janet McTeer made her professional stage debut in 1984, and since then has won a Tony Award, an Olivier Award and a Drama Desk Award. In 1986, she was nominated for an Olivier Award for Best Newcomer for The Grace of MaryTraverse, although she actually won a Tony Award and an Olivier Award for her role as Nora in Henrik Ibsen's A Doll's House in 1997. She is also a two-time Academy Award nominee.

Janet McTeer has starred on television in the title role of Lynda La Plante's 'The Governor' from 1996 to 1997, has received a Golden Globe nomination for her role as Jacquetta of Luxembourg, Countess Rivers - the mother of Elizabeth Woodville, Queen Consort of King Edward IV - in 'The White Queen' and starred opposite Glenn Close in the final season of the television show 'Damages'.

She made her film debut in 1986's Half Moon Street - based on a book by Paul Theroux called Doctor Slaughter. In 2009, she portrayed Clementine Churchill - the wife of Sir Winston Churchill - in the HBO movie, Into the Storm. This was the role for which she earned an Emmy Award nomination. Further film roles include: Hawks, Wuthering Heights, Carrington, Songcatcher and As You Like It.

Janet McTeer also received an Academy Award nomination for her role in the 1999 movie Tumbleweeds and another Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress for her portrayal of Hubert Page in the 2011 movie Albert Nobbs. She was appointed 'Officer of the Order of the British Empire' in the Queen's Birthday Honours 2008 for her Services to Drama.

Who Plays Jennet Humphrey - The Woman in Black?

Elizabeth 'Liz' White is perhaps best known for her role as WPC/WDC Annie Cartwright in the British version of the television series 'Life on Mars' - which was broadcast from 2006-2007. She also appeared in four episodes of the television series 'Teachers' which was broadcast in 2003. Her other prominent television roles include: Jess Mercer in six episodes of the British television series 'The Fixer' in 2008; and Caroline in BBC's 2011adaptation of Michel Faber's 2002 novel The Crimson Petal and the White.

Liz White has also had increasing success in films; making her film debut in 2004's film short Ten Minute Movie. This was followed up with her appearances in Mike Leigh's 2004 movie Vera Drake and in the 2005 television movie Angell's Hell. She also played Laura in Gerald McMorrow's debut film Franklyn and Alice Kelly in the independent film New Town Killers in 2008. She was featured in the music video for Bush's final single Inflatable- off their fourth studio album, Golden State, which was released in 2001.

My Review of the Movie Adaptation of Susan Hill's The Woman in Black: A Ghost Story:

I must say that I thoroughly enjoyed this movie adaptation of The Woman in Black: A Ghost Story by Susan Hill. Something that I never realized was that the 2012 film starring Daniel Radcliffe, was actually a remake of a 1989 television drama adaptation of Susan Hill's novel. Nigel Kneale, who died in 2006, was the screen-writer of the 1989 television movie; and is perhaps best known for his creation of the fictional character Professor Bernard Quatermass - a heroic, intelligent, highly moral British scientist - and a pioneer of the British space programme, heading up the British Experimental Rocket Group.

Mom has often told me of her recollections of gathering round the television with her mother, brother and sister every Saturday night (her father would usually be out) - and the four of them would watch 'Quatermass' together. To properly set the mood, my grandmother would make them all snacks, start a fire in the fireplace, and turn out out all the lights. Mom was never really all that interested in science fiction television shows as a child, and still isn't, even as an adult - but 'Quatermass' was definitely the exception for her!

Anyway, the 2012 version of The Woman in Black was excellent; at least in my opinion. Daniel Radcliffe has certainly shed whatever remnants of Harry Potter that were left! While I noticed that there were some slight differences between the book and the movie, I thought that overall the movie turned out to be a very faithful adaptation of the book. The movie plot ultimately stayed as true to Susan Hill's book as possible, and I now have the strongest desire to reread The Woman in Black: A Ghost Story by Susan Hill after seeing the movie.

As I may have said before, I'm usually very wary of watching any movies that are based on books I've read. I find that so many movies turn out to be very poor adaptations of otherwise terrific books. However, this is not the case with The Woman in Black.

Both the book and the movie are equally outstanding; I enjoyed the movie just as much, if not more, than the book. It was thrilling and gripping, and was absolutely worth the year-long wait that we went through in order to watch this movie. I whole-heartedly give the movie adaptation of The Woman in Black: A Ghost Story by Susan Hill an A+!

About Me

I was born in Belfast, Northern Ireland, but moved to America when I was five a half. My parents owned two Irish restaurants - one in Albany, New York the other in Dennisport, Cape Cod. I host an Irish radio program with my mom in upstate New York called 'Proud to be Irish'. I'm an avid reader, love history (mainly Irish history), writing, listening to music, and arts and crafts. I also love to laugh and meet new people. I am cheerfully owned by three adorable eight year old rescue cats named Ruby, Leila and Lollipop.